Picking Up the Pieces
by Pink Lady Alex
Summary: During the desert battle in Egypt, Sam is killed. Struggling with feelings of grief and guilt, Mikaela and Lennox go their separate ways, until the crash-landing of a Cybertronian spaceship brings them back into each other's lives. However, the Decepticons are never far behind... Mikaela/Lennox. Note: Lennox is not married in this fic.
1. The Fallen

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything pertaining to _Transformers_, or anything else related to this material of which I written about. All rights are reserved by the original owners.

_**Author's Note: **_This fic is by the request of _slinky190_, who really wanted some more Mikaela/Lennox lovin'. Hope that this doesn't disappoint!

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Fallen**

It was less than forty-eight hours ago when Autobot leader Optimus Prime had sent them on a secret mission to retrieve a Cybertronian artifact. Although Optimus had wanted to personally get it, he had heeded the advice of his trusted second-in-command, Ironhide, and kept Megatron's attention on him and his fighting force. More importantly, this diversion had also fooled The Fallen, who was eager to kill Prime and start a machine that would effectively destroy all life on earth. Ever since Sam had found the Matrix of Leadership, he was determined to get it to Optimus, even if it meant running through a village full of 'Cons who were all looking for him.

* * *

"Two civilians, twelve o'clock."

Major Lennox's head whipped around at the soldier's announcement. Sure enough, running for their lives were Sam and Mikaela. He never asked why they were in Egypt – when he had received their message, he just went. With his military joint task force put on an indefinite hiatus and the leader of the Autobots in hiding, that was all he could do. And hope like crazy that they had the answer to end this battle they found themselves fighting.

"Cover for us!" he yelled at his team, before running to meet the young couple.

Master Sergeant Epps was right beside him, shouting into a radio as he ran. "Hold the air strike – we're rescuing civilians."

The shockwave from an explosion knocked Sam and Mikaela to the ground, momentarily stunning them. When they looked up they saw the two soldiers charging over and ordering them to get to their feet.

"Come on – get in here!" Lennox all but threw them around a wall for protection. "You better have a good reason for us to be here," he told Sam in a terse voice.

"Where's Optimus?"

"He's right over there, across the courtyard." He pointed to where the giant Cybertronian was battling in a disguised form.

"I got to get to him right now."

"Not with an air strike coming."

"I have to get to him right now," Sam insisted.

Another explosion, this time right overhead, shook the ground and effectively interrupted their exchange. Mikaela had been too busy trying to catch her breath to say anything, besides trying not to panic. A hostile Cybertronian positioned a gun right above them and she tried not to scream.

"Get back, stay down," Lennox said in a lower tone.

Middle of the desert. Surrounded by numerous Decepticons. Crouching behind an ancient, mud brick wall. Not where Mikaela wanted to be. Neither did Sam. Or Epps. Or Lennox. Nevertheless, that was the reality that they found themselves in, and time was running out.

The radio clipped to the Master Sergeant's vest spoke ominous military jargon; "B-1's time on target, thirty seconds. Two-thousand pound JDAMs inbound."

Lennox turned to the couple, looking at them intensely. "We're going to make a break for it on my command, okay? You guys stick with me, you understand?"

Sam and Mikaela nodded their understanding.

"I hope these bombers got good aim," Epps murmured.

"Yeah, why is that?" the other man asked.

"I told them to hit the orange smoke."

Lennox glanced to the right where a cloud of orange smoke was filling the air. "You mean that orange smoke?"

"It wasn't my best toss, okay?" Epps replied.

He glared at him a moment, then in unison they shouted, "RUN!"

Without even realizing it, Lennox seized Mikaela's hand, and they sprinted together as fast as they could. Overhead the jets roared past, delivering their payload. They could feel the searing heat of the explosions behind them, and the noise was near to deafening, but they were almost clear. Though they scarcely dared a look back, the rockets were annihilating the Decepticon forces. They were almost out of the strike zone when Epps noticed Sam start to break off; he hollered at him, alerting the other two people.

"Sam! Get back here!" Mikaela yelled, but her voice was lost in the tumult.

Unknown to Sam, Megatron had leapt up behind him and took aim on the young man. A bolt from his gun tore into the ground, and although it missed him, the shockwave blasted Sam up into the air and sent him careening to a sickening thud on the sand. Mikaela saw it as though it happened in slow-motion. Completely ignoring Lennox's orders, she dashed toward her boyfriend's motionless body and collapsed on the ground beside him.

"Sam! SAM!" she screamed.

Lennox had charged after her and slid to a stop next to the young woman. She was desperately clutching at Sam, and he literally had to grab and toss her away from his injured form.

"Stay back! Mikaela, stay back!" he ordered her.

"Do something!" she shrieked, and he started doing chest compressions on Witwicky.

It seemed like ages – Lennox continued to check for a pulse, but wasn't finding one. He looked up at Mikaela, who sat on the other side of Sam's body, and a horrified look passed between them. All at once, the army medics and Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky arrived on the scene. The parents were frantic to reach their son, but a few soldiers had to hold them back to give the medics room to work. Even Lennox had to wrestle Mikaela back as they tried to defibrillate him.

"Ready to shock – one, two, three-"

"We got no pulse."

"Do it again!"

"No response."

Eventually one of the medics simply looked back at the Witwickys and shook his head. "I'm sorry. He's gone."

Ron and Judy wailed in agony and rushed to their son's side. Lennox felt as though he'd been punched in the gut; his arms dropped down, freeing Mikaela to also scramble over to her boyfriend's body, while sobbing uncontrollably.

Standing off to the side was Epps, who now approached his friend with a brave face. "We did everything we could, but unless we finish what Sam tried to do, we might not make it out of here either. Will, your team needs you right now."

"You're right." he said, his voice choked with emotion.

Lying on the sand nearby was the Matrix of Leadership. The long, alien artifact had been slung across Sam's back, but the shockwave had thrown it from him. Lennox grabbed the Matrix and personally ran it to the now approaching Autobot leader.

"Sam's down – he didn't make it," the major said simply.

Optimus was silent. His optics shifted from the tragic scene to the Matrix, which he then levitated up to his massive hand by using his electromagnetic power. Just then there was a loud boom and The Fallen – the ancient, evil Cybertronian who had devised this scheme – teleported to the top of a nearby pyramid.

With new strength in his voice, Optimus stared at his opponent. "Sam's sacrifice will not be in vain. I will end this."

With the final battle underway and most of the other Decepticons being finished off by the soldiers and Autobots, Lennox was able to turn his attention back to the civilians he was responsible for.

"We've got to get these people away from here!" he shouted to his soldiers.

The medics took the body onto the helicopter, along with the Witwickys, but there wasn't enough room for Mikaela. She just sat there in a stunned state as the helicopter's blades whirled up a small sandstorm around her.

"Mikaela, we've got to go," Lennox urged her. The rest of his men were already moving out, determined to end the battle. "Mikaela, we're not safe here."

She looked at him, her face streaked with dirt and tears. Will had never seen such a heartbreaking look in her eyes. He then realized that she would not be able to get out of there without help. Slinging his rifle across his back, he swiftly scooped her up into his arms and half-jogged back to the command line. Mikaela was very quiet; most likely going into shock. Once they returned to where the N.E.S.T. soldiers were positioned, Lennox put her down in an area that the medics had set up. He knelt down so that he could face her directly, and wrapped a blanket around her; despite the heat, she was shivering, and he could see goosebumps along her bare arms.

"Hey, listen to me – you're going to be alright. I need you to stay here, okay?"

She nodded in response.

"I'll come back for you when this is over."

Mikaela finally looked up at him, tears still slipping from her eyes. "I'll be here."

Will felt a lump in his throat, but he couldn't give way to any emotions now. Instead he enclosed his arms about her, holding her for several moments while she took comfort in his reassuring embrace.

Right before he left the area, he motioned to a young solder nearby. "Keep an eye on the young woman over there until I get back; she's a civilian."

"Yes, Major."

A civilian, Lennox thought to himself, who had been through two devastating alien battles.

* * *

Optimus defeated the Fallen and ended the Decepticons' quest to kill the earth, but the victory had come at a cost. Several Autobots, about a dozen N.E.S.T. and Jordanian soldiers, and one civilian had all lost their lives. All that was left to do was to pick up the pieces and go home. After what had taken place, the U.S. president had reinstated N.E.S.T.'s operations, and instead of being recalled to the base in Diego Garcia, Lennox and his some of team had to return to the States. Hitching a ride on a U.S.-bound aircraft carrier, the battle-scarred group settled in for the voyage, and arrived on the east coast a couple days later.

Lennox was concerned about seeing the Witwickys and Mikaela back safely. He felt a nearly overwhelming sense of guilt at Sam's death, as he had been responsible for the young man's safety. Mikaela had stayed in her cabin the entire trip, and Will didn't even see her until they docked.

Less than a week later, Lennox and Epps flew west to attend Sam's funeral. That time of year the weather in Southern California was beautiful, but Will didn't even notice it. He felt like he was in a daze. The reception was held at the Witwicky home; the atmosphere was somber as family, friends, and others tried to comfort one another. Will found Mikaela sitting by herself in the corner of the living room. She seemed to sense his presence; their eyes locked and a brief smile went across her face.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" he asked.

"Okay, I guess."

"Do you know many people here?"

Mikaela scanned the room. "Yes, quite a few."

"I could use some air – want to step outside for a couple minutes?"

"Alright."

She led the way out to the empty patio and they sat on the furniture there. The Witwickys had spent a considerable amount of time and effort in their garden and backyard area; it was beautiful and peaceful.

"Lennox, thanks for coming out here for this."

"There was never a question of whether or not I would be here; Sam was a brave man, and it's only right that I pay my respects."

There was a moment of silence that passed, then Mikaela spoke.

"I can't help but feel guilty."

Will's eyebrows rose. "What? Mikaela, don't blame yourself!"

"I know but… I feel guilty that I came back fine, and he didn't come back at all. He was starting college; he had his whole life ahead of him."

A few tears slipped down her face and she looked away. Will felt the need to comfort her; he stepped closer and had to bend over to tentatively embrace her. She responded by tightly wrapping her arms around him, clutching his uniform blazer, and then sobbed quietly. Mikaela felt him rub her back, and speak consolingly to her.

There was something that he needed to tell her; the time was now, when he couldn't look into her face as he spoke. "If this is anyone's fault, it's mine. It was my duty to protect him and I failed. So don't blame yourself – blame me. I hope that you can forgive me."

"But Lennox-" she started to reply, but a noise to the side made them both break the embrace.

They looked over and saw Judy Witwicky backing into the house. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you were having a private moment."

"It's okay," Mikaela replied. She let out a sigh after the woman had left. "I wonder what she thinks of me."

Will and Mikaela looked at each other a moment, then another person came onto the scene – Epps.

"Sorry to interrupt – Lennox, we have to get going. The plane is going to leave soon."

"Right. I'll be there in a minute."

"I guess this is goodbye, then," Mikaela murmured.

"No, not 'goodbye'; just 'bye for now'," he replied. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will. Same goes for you."

Lennox touched her arm and smiled a bit before turning to leave. He didn't look back until he was inside the house. Mikaela stood alone, staring out into the garden.


	2. 97 Miles to Midnight

_**Author's Note: **_I'm so sorry for making you wait so long to read this chapter :( I hope the Mikaela-Bee banter makes up for it just a little. If you haven't noticed, this fic now has a cover! (A big thank you to the gal who made it for me!) What do you think of it?

* * *

**Chapter 2 – 97 Miles to Midnight**

_15 months later_

Mikaela gazed up at the stars that sparkled like diamonds in the night sky. Stargazing had become one of her favourite activities, and the best place for it in L.A. was the Griffith Observatory.

"Hey Bee, what time is it?"

"Nine forty-five P.M."

"We should start thinking about leaving soon. I don't want to get locked in again."

"We'll be out in time, don't worry."

She lay on the hood of the yellow Chevy Camaro, that being Bumblebee in his alt-mode. After Sam had died, the Autobot had insisted remaining with her, and had become her guardian. Mikaela had felt so alone, but they grieved their loss together, and their friendship made it bearable.

Recently, they had been at the observatory more than usual; six times in the last two weeks. Bee had insisted on going, so Mikaela went along with him. She didn't mind at all though, since he was always taking her to places that he would rather not have gone. The January air was crisp and clear, so she would bring a blanket and wrap up in it, and Bee would keep the engine hood warm for her. Sometimes people would approach and talk with her, but Bee would often project the holographic image of a man inside the car so that Mikaela wouldn't be bothered too much.

However, tonight something was different, Mikaela could just sense it. Bee seemed almost anxious – or whatever the equivalent for an Autobot would be – to get up to the observatory. The last time they were there, they accidently stayed past the gate-closing time, and got locked in. Some apologetic batting-of-eyelashes on Mikaela's part spared them a fine. Again Bee seemed willing to wait until the last minute to race from the grounds. Suddenly she heard static on Bee's radio, followed by an alien transmission.

"Hey Bee, is everything alright?" she asked, starting to feel slightly uneasy.

Before he could answer, two black Chevy Suburbans raced up the hill and came to an abrupt halt. They appeared to be law enforcement vehicles of some kind because they both had red and blue lights flashing.

"Those look like government SUVs," Mikaela murmured to the Autobot. "Remember a few years ago when they came and grabbed Sam and I from his house?"

"I remember, but that's not your government."

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Get inside – move slowly," Bee responded.

If there had been anyone else up at the observatory, they split the moment the Chevys appeared. Mikaela could feel her heart start to hammer in her chest; she had a really bad feeling about this. She slowly slid off the hood. When her feet touched the ground, the SUVs started to transform, her fears beginning to take shape.

When the Decepticons reverted back into their bi-pedal form, they were among the most fearsome aliens that she had yet seen. They were both taller than Bumblebee, had assorted spikes and tendrils, and basically defined the phrase 'killing machines'.

Mikaela shrieked and scrambled into the passenger seat. Bee slammed the door the moment she was inside, and burned rubber to get them both out of there. She stared back in the rear view mirrors, and was horrified to see the 'Cons running after them.

"Why are they after us?" she asked her guardian.

"Long story – I'll explain later."

She braced herself as they drifted around a tight corner.

"Mikaela, get ready to tuck and roll."

"What?! No, Bee, you can't fight them both!"

"I need to buy us some time. When I pop the door, bail out. Run straight through the forest; the road is on the other side. I'll meet you there," he instructed her.

As the car skid around another turn, the passenger door flew open and Mikaela slid out and rolled several feet away. She wasn't hurt though, having done something similar a few times before. A not-too distant rumbling indicated that the Decepticons were right behind them. The young woman scrambled to her feet and carefully ran down the embankment. It was dark, but there wasn't too much underbrush to impede her progress. Bumblebee had sped off immediately to lead the 'Cons away, but now she heard blasts and explosions echoing through the parkland.

Through the trees Mikaela could see the road. At the same time she lost her footing on the steep slope and slid the rest of the way into a muddy ditch. Crawling out to the road, she wasted no time in assessing her appearance, but sprinted across a lawn to wait for Bee to come by. She gasped for breath, yet hardly had to chance to recover as just a moment later the Autobot burst onto the scene, in mid-transition to his alt-mode. By the time he was looking like a car again, he had screeched to a halt beside her. The passenger door was already open and Mikaela leaped inside once more.

"Sorry about that," Bee said once they were speeding down the North Vermont Canyon Road.

"Don't worry about it. What happened back there?"

"I ambushed them and gave those guys a few things to think about."

Mikaela couldn't help but smile at the Autobot's bravado; the human mannerisms he'd picked up never ceased to amuse her. "So, you want to tell me what all of this is about?"

Bee made sound that was like a sigh. "I don't want to make you anxious."

"Hate to break it to you, but I'm feeling a little nervous right now."

Another sigh. "Okay… A couple weeks ago I was assigned to monitor a Cybertronian spacecraft that is approaching Earth. It's running on auto-pilot and the Autobots and N.E.S.T. are trying to override the controls before it comes down."

"Wait, what do you mean 'comes down'?"

"That's the part you won't like. The craft has been out in space a long time and its systems have corrupted. Normally, such a vehicle would be able to automatically land upon reaching a planet, but it's not going into landing mode."

"Are you saying it's going to crash into Earth?" Mikaela gasped.

"Well, I'm not sure," Bee replied tentatively. "I've been monitoring and trying to remotely access its systems, and I've been transmitting information back to the rest of the Autobots. The thing is, the Decepticons are also trying to gain access to the ship. When Crankcase and Crowbar-"

"Those are the 'Cons who attacked us?"

"Yes. When they found us, they were trying to hack into my signal. I don't think they got anything, but I've got to get this information to the base. If I try to encrypt it and send it like usual, those 'Cons could probably intercept it. They're known as the Dreads; data theft and assassination are their specialties. I'm really sorry about this, Mikaela."

"It's okay, Bee." She rubbed the dashboard reassuringly. "So, where are we headed now?"

"Edwards Air Force Base – that's where the N.E.S.T. division I'm assigned to is located. It's about two hours north of us."

"Two hours?!"

"I'm going as fast as is safe on your freeways. But our biggest problem is that the 'Cons aren't going to give up that easy."

Mikaela whipped around to look out the back window. Sure enough, Crankcase and Crowbar were speeding after them in their SUV forms.

"Oh crap…" she muttered.

"No kidding," Bee replied.

To onlookers and other motorists, the scene was a high-speed police chase. The Decepticons had chosen their alt-modes shrewdly; by appearing as law enforcement, no one would challenge their assumed authority. The Autobot looked to be a hot sports car evading the law. The only good thing was that people got out of the way. Mikaela knew that Bee would do anything to avoid injuring the bystanders, but the 'Cons could care less. It wasn't long before the legitimate freeway patrol took notice of what was happening. Soon there were other vehicles involved in the chase, not to mention a couple helicopters with spotlights.

"Is that a roadblock up there?" Mikaela asked.

"Yes it is."

"That's a spike strip – Bee you've got to stop, it'll shred your tires!"

"Not a chance," he replied, rather cocky.

Just before they hit the metal strip, the Camaro jumped a few inches off the ground, just enough to avoid disaster. They landed with a thud and burned rubber as they raced off.

"Bet you didn't think I could do that," Bee said gleefully.

Mikaela laughed despite her nervousness.

After several minutes of continually glancing back at the road, she was surprised, but relieved, not to see the Decepticons pursuing them. Bumblebee didn't have an answer for why that was, but didn't slow his pace either. They would soon be out of the city.

* * *

Will Lennox felt himself being nudged awake. Opening his eyes a crack, he peered at the man next to him.

"Sorry to have to wake you, Colonel. We're on final approach to Edwards."

"Thanks," he muttered groggily.

He rubbed his eyes and reached for his water bottle. Scanning his surroundings while he took a drink, he noticed that the other people onboard the plane were also rousing. The large vehicles that were parked in the middle didn't stir, but made noises as they came out of their sleeping state. The Autobots had to travel in their alt-modes, and Lennox knew that they were always eager to get off a plane and stretch their robotic limbs.

When Lennox and this small unit of N.E.S.T. personnel had left the east coast of the United States it had been nine at night. With five hours of flying and the time difference, it felt like it was two in the morning, although it was really eleven Pacific Time. This wasn't too unusual for him, since this job kept him awake at all hours of the day and night; however, the reason for this particular trip was urgent. A situation had been developing over the past month, and things were about to get critical. For Optimus Prime to be riding in the belly of a C-17, things were serious indeed.

* * *

Since leaving the city limits, their surroundings had become quieter and darker; however, for Bumblebee and Mikaela this didn't mean that they were either safe or alone. Traffic was minimal at the late hour, and Bee was still speeding on the freeway. Mikaela was starting fall asleep in the passenger seat, the adrenaline from earlier having worn off. The route was taking them right alongside Angeles National Park, where there was nothing happening at this time of night.

"Mikaela, wake up," Bee urged the young woman, and directed a vent of cool air toward her face.

"What? What's going on?" she mumbled.

"I'm getting a signal anomaly."

"A what now?"

"A bad feeling."

"Oh no."

"I think those 'Cons are-"

Before he could finish his sentence, an unearthly roar echoed over the hills, followed by two Decepticons in their bi-pedal form leaping from their place of hiding onto the road. Instead of slamming on the breaks, which would have put Bee and Mikaela right in front of them, the Autobot accelerated and partially transformed. While making sure that the young woman was shielded, he slid underneath Crankcase – who had landed on all fours – and simultaneously extended his gun and blasted the 'Con. Bee then let her out and finished transforming.

"Mikaela, hide in the ditch over there. Stay out of sight!"

"Don't do what I think you're going to!" she implored.

"Two on one – I can take them. Go!"

She did as her guardian instructed and sprinted to the side of the road. Bumblebee's arms changed into his plasma cannons and the battle shield came down over his face. Crankcase and Crowbar extended their own weapons and started shooting at him. Bee ducked and rolled, taking cover behind a nearby ridge, and tried to make his shots count. From Mikaela's hiding spot, she could see the two Decepticons starting to advance; they were going to go around either side and corner him. Disregarding her guardian's instructions, she ran up onto the road shouting and waving her arms to attract the attention of the giant aliens.

"Hey! Over here you drooling chunks of rusting… oh crap," she muttered when they both whirled around and lumbered towards her with an evil glint in their red eyes.

Bee saw what she was trying to do and seized the opportunity. Leaping out from behind the desert hill – which now had burn marks from the plasma shots – he landed high on Crowbar's back and sent a bolt of energy ripping through his body. The 'Con reached up and threw him off; Bee expected that to happen and he was able to roll and gain his footing. He charged straight at Crankcase and grabbed his arm to deflect his gun, and used the momentum to swing his foe around and shoot Crowbar.

With both of the Decepticons quite damaged, Bumblebee decided that the time had come to flee the scene before they could regroup. He ran over to where Mikaela was standing and quickly transformed so she could jump in. The Camaro's tires screeched as they sped away.

It was a couple minutes before Mikaela spoke; her eyes had been trained on side mirror while she prayed that their enemies would not come into view. "You were amazing, Bee!"

"Thanks," he replied.

Mikaela detected something in his voice. "Are you okay? You sounded a little strange just then."

"I'll be alright when we get to the base."

She wasn't convinced. Then she noticed a green liquid dripping onto the floor. "Bee, are you… bleeding?"

"It's nothing."

"You're injured, aren't you?! Oh, Bee!" she gasped. "Let me drive for a while, you need a break."

"Alright," the Autobot finally conceded.

She knew that he would need time to assess damage and try to do some self-repairs. Mikaela slid over to the driver's seat and easily took over driving at the high speed they had been traveling at.

* * *

"What's going on?" Lennox asked the moment he entered the room.

"Sorry that we had to pull you out of a meeting, Colonel. Just thought that this is something you had to take a look at," the officer on duty responded. He pointed to a screen and explained; "We just got a large Energon reading a few clicks southwest of here. The Autobots are all checking in, but so far it's not one of our guys. That only leaves us with one alternative."

"Decepticons," Lennox said tersely. "This can't be a coincidence – we'll have to investigate. Get me a satellite image right away."

"Yes, Colonel."

Lennox hadn't been long on the ground at Edwards before the alert was brought to his concern. As if having a Cybertronian spacecraft in orbit wasn't enough to worry about, he had to constantly be on the watch for Decepticons; especially now, since they would undoubtedly try to make a move on the vessel.

He briefly left the room to find some coffee for himself; sleep would have to wait until later.

* * *

Mikaela couldn't stop glancing in the rear-view mirror. She kept imagining that she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, but every time she looked, the road behind them was empty. In fact, there was absolutely nothing around – they were out in the desert now. Trying to stay focused on the driving, her grip on the steering wheel tightened and she nervously licked her lips. Bee had been quiet for a little while, but now piped up.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

"You seem kinda tense."

"Is it that obvious?"

"The death-grip on my steering wheel is."

"Oh, sorry! I'm just letting my imagination get the better of me. It's been a long night."

"Well, we're almost there, so hold on – whatever that expression is supposed to mean. Maybe some human said it in reference to steering wheels," the Autobot teased.

Mikaela chuckled.

Suddenly the interior of the car was filled with a combination of radio static and Cybertronian sounds. She listened as her guardian conversed in the electronic-sounding language, and then he told her what was said.

"That was Ironhide hailing me. I've got good news and bad. Good news is that N.E.S.T. has picked up our signal and they are coming to intercept us."

"And the bad news?" she asked tentatively.

"They've also spotted Decepticon Hatchet on our tail."

"That's just great!" Mikaela proclaimed sarcastically, though it was really to mask her own fear. Her tone changed to a serious one. "Anything we can do about that?"

"Go faster."

Bee accelerated to the point that Mikaela could feel the G-forces pushing her back into the seat. With another glance into the rear view, she could now see a monstrous beast of a Decepticon galloping after them.

* * *

"Sir, we have a visual on Autobot Bumblebee!"

Lennox's head whipped up and he stared at the Camaro headlights in the distance. Not far behind him he could also see the Decepticon.

"There's our target – let's get Bee in safely!" he ordered his men.

Ironhide needed no further prompting; his cannons were already out and he started running to meet the younger 'Bot. The ensuing skirmish saw the N.E.S.T. and Autobot soldiers pelt Hatchet with all manner of artillery, until the 'Con was forced to retreat, being very outnumbered. Bee was escorted safely into Edwards Air Force Base, to the joint-force section of the base, where Lennox's men and the Autobots all crowded around him.

"You gave us a scare," Ironhide said sternly, yet sounding almost fatherly.

"Bumblebee, I should take a look at that damage," Ratchet chimed in. "I can't believe you took on Crowbar and Crankcase on your own!"

"He's right," Optimus Prime boomed. "That was very dangerous. They are trying to get our information about this spaceship at any cost."

"I know, but I wasn't alone," Bee replied. Before transforming back into his bi-pedal form, he popped the passenger door.

Lennox felt his jar drop when he saw who stepped out of the car. His deep hazel eyes locked with her blues. "Mikaela?!"


	3. Looking for Somewhere to Crash

_**Author's Note: **_Finally, Mikaela and Lennox interact in this chapter – but alas! Things are not going well between them. Mikaela's time at the NEST base does not go how she expected…

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Looking for Somewhere to Crash**

"What are you doing here?" Lennox asked. He then realized that everyone was still standing around looking at her, so he motioned her aside.

Mikaela gave him a tired smile. "Bumblebee is my guardian, remember? He ran into trouble when I was with him, so he had to bring me along."

He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to stave off his own fatigue. "I did forget, sorry. Are you alright?"

For the first time since their ordeal she took a look at her clothing – it was dirt-streaked and her appearance was generally disheveled. "I'm fine, I just look a mess."

"After being chased all across the place by Decepticons, you look pretty good," Will replied, and reached out to brush back some of her dark hair that was sticking out at a funny angle. He abruptly withdrew his hand. "Sorry, I shouldn't have… it was just…"

Mikaela chuckled. "It's okay." She let out a sigh. "So, what happens now?"

His eyes scanned the room. "Now? Well, we've got to debrief Bumblebee and get that information about the… Wait, first of all I need to find you a ride back to the city."

"Huh?"

"Bumblebee is going to have to stay at the base until this crisis is over; he may have to go out on an extended mission. I'm afraid that you will temporarily be without a car. I'll arrange for a transport home."

He already started to turn away, and Mikaela was very confused. "You mean right now?"

"Yes. Hopefully I can get a helicopter or something…" Will noticed a downcast look on her face. "I know that you want to help, but you need to go home."

"But, I can't go home now!" she began to protest, but he interrupted her.

"Mikaela, this isn't up for discussion. I won't have civilians anywhere near operations. I'm sending you back."

"I completely agree," a third voice chimed in.

Will and Mikaela turned to see a man in a suit approaching.

"What's this? A stowaway?"

"This is Councilor Darin Conley, from a multi-national council that monitors Cybertronian-Earth relations. He's here on a presidential order to oversee that all procedures involving this spacecraft are followed," Lennox explained.

Conley looked alarmed. "You're telling her classified information!"

Mikaela rolled her eyes. "I live with an Autobot – I already know all about this spaceship."

"Well, there's something I'll have to make a note of. Is there a file on this girl?"

"I have no idea, you'll have to look into it," Lennox replied with a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Paperwork isn't my expertise."

"In any case, I agree with you, Colonel, that we need to get her off the base immediately."

Mikaela was fed up with being talked over as though she weren't there. "As I have been trying to tell you, it's not safe for me to go home! The Decepticons that were after us saw me, and they'll have no trouble finding out where I live."

"And what would they want with you?" Conley asked.

"Oh I don't know, maybe to use me as leverage," she paused when she saw the man stare at her with boredom in his eyes. "Or maybe just _kill_ me," Mikaela said more forcefully.

Lennox's eyebrows rose. "You've got a point there."

Conley sighed. "Colonel, with all due respect, it would be more of a liability to have her here. Send a small detachment to take her back to where she belongs, and they can assess her safety."

He clenched his jaw a bit. Will was concerned for her safety, but had to rationalize his fears with the probability that the Decepticons would leave her alone. "Mikaela, I appreciate the trouble that you've gone through tonight, and I'm glad that you're okay. I'm sending you back home, right now."

She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words she wanted. This wasn't the same Will Lennox that she knew; otherwise he wouldn't have sent her off like a package.

* * *

The corporal stopped outside the door and glanced at a wall clock with apprehension in his expression. His order was to wake the Colonel, and wake the Colonel he must. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door before opening it.

"Colonel Lennox?"

"Yes?" came the very groggy reply.

The soldier peered into the darkened room and saw the man lying on a cot, still wearing all of his uniform, including his boots. "I'm very sorry to have to wake you, sir, but there has been a development and you're needed in the control room.

Lennox sighed heavily and sat up, swung his feet down to the floor, and rubbed his hands on his face. "What time is it?"

"Oh Two Thirty Hours."

He'd only been asleep for an hour. Lennox stood and followed the other man back to the control room where the Cybertronian spaceship was being tracked. The moment he entered, another officer motioned him over.

"We've analyzed the data Autobot Bumblebee brought back, and it's not good."

"What kind of 'not good'?" Lennox asked.

"Our scientists and the Autobot ones have detected that the shuttle's orbit is decaying as we speak. It's coming down."

"Well, we knew that it would eventually. And all efforts to get its systems online have failed?"

"That is correct."

"How much longer until it makes contact with the surface?"

"Three hours."

"And where could it hit?"

"At this point, it could be anywhere along the latitudes the US is between."

"That's a huge area!"

"Yes it is. The scientists are working on all kinds of graphs and charts, but there are too many variables to know for certain."

"That also means that there may not be enough time to warn the public," Lennox said solemnly.

The officer grimaced a bit. "We'll just have to do our best."

Just then, a private ran up to him. "Colonel Lennox, there's a call for you."

Will followed the young man to the phone and picked it up. "Lennox here."

"Colonel, this is the team transporting the civilian, Mikaela Banes."

His pulse quickened at the mention of her name. "Is everything okay?"

"No, we were ambushed by a 'Con out here, over by Angeles National Park, but Ironhide was able to fight it off; we're sure glad that you had him go with us."

"Any injuries?"

"Negative. The civilian is unharmed as well. Our vehicle is damaged, but it will get us back to base. That said – requesting permission to return to base, sir." "Permission granted. I'll send out Blazemaster to escort you in."

"Thank you, Lennox. Over and out."

Another hour later, Mikaela arrived back on the military base, and Lennox was there to personally greet the small team. She got out of the Humvee looking as tired as when she left, but this time there was annoyance on her face.

"I did warn you this might happen," she muttered as she briskly walked past him.

"It's protocol," he said in return. "I'm sorry."

Mikaela paused and looked back at him with an intense gaze. "Just be glad that no one got hurt." She turned and continued to follow the soldier who would show her to a place to sleep for the remainder of the early morning hours.

The room that had been arranged for her was completely empty aside from a cot and a couple blankets. The door had a lock, and the bathroom was down the hall. It wasn't much, though Mikaela was not expecting anything fancy; she was just relieved that she could finally rest without having to worry about Decepticons. She was about to close the door and shut out the rest of the world when Darin Conley appeared.

"What are you still doing here? Weren't you sent home a couple hours ago?"

"I guess you didn't get the message – my ride got attacked. You obviously haven't been around Decepticons much; they like to hold grudges."

"My knowledge of the aliens is none of your concern. Tomorrow you will be on the first transport back to the city. No more of this breach of security."

Mikaela could stand this man less and less with each passing minute; however, his haughty, self-important presence was enough to get on anyone's nerves.

Suddenly he stepped close to her and clasped her shoulder in his hand with a lingering feel. "Sleep well, Miss Banes."

Conley vanished before she fully reacted to his uncalled-for gesture. Had it been Lennox, she wouldn't have minded – in fact, her heart fluttered when he had touched her hair – but Conley was a complete stranger. Maybe it was just his own weird way of showing that he was sorry for being so rude to her, but she felt uncomfortable. Although she had inwardly recoiled at his action, she was determined not to dwell on it. Soon she would be far away from the N.E.S.T. base, and away from Darin Conley.

* * *

Lennox walked up to the weapons specialist, who was having some damage inspected by Ratchet. It didn't take long for Ironhide to wave off the Autobot medic, insisting that he was fine.

"How is the femme?" he asked, glancing down at Lennox.

"She's alright. Thanks for keeping her safe."

"I'm not surprised that Hatchet tried to go after her. The Dreads would have informed him of Bumblebee's guardian, and how protective he is of her."

"Mikaela told me as much. I should've listened to her."

"She's a smart femme, and she knows how to look after herself."

"I know…"

Just then, Chromia sped over to the two soldiers. "Good news – we've been able to establish some contact with the spacecraft!"

Lennox and some other soldiers hustled over to where the Autobots were gathered. Knock Out was hunched over an alien device, working intently.

"I can't access the full system controls; they're badly corrupted."

"Can you get the engines to respond?" Optimus asked.

"Negative."

"Are there any features that are still working that could help us to steer the ship?"

Knock Out peered at the viewscreen in front of him. "Not really, but… there is one thing we might do but it's an abnormal tactic." He glanced up at the Autobot leader and continued; "In cases of emergency, the ship can dismantle into separate units. Each section would be relatively intact and it would cause less damage than the entire spaceship crash-landing."

It was time for Lennox and Optimus to exchange a look. The Colonel ascended a nearby staircase that led to a viewing platform so that he and the Prime could have a face-to-face conversation.

"This seems like the best option," Will said plainly.

"I agree. If there is no way to bring down the ship safely in a controlled way, at least we can minimize the damage that the impact will have."

"So we go for it?"

"Go for what, exactly?" a third voice chimed in.

Lennox turned to see Conley strolling towards them. "Optimus and I are deciding on a plan for the spacecraft's entry into our atmosphere."

"And aren't you supposed to be consulting me?"

"You would be the first person to know."

"I'm here now so you might as well let me in on it."

Will stifled the urge to tell him off and briefly explained what he and his Autobot counterpart had been discussing.

"I guess that's reasonable. "I'll pass that information along to the higher-ups. You may proceed." Conley announced and strode off.

"I can't wait to get that guy out of my hair," Lennox muttered.

"Although I don't have that human feature, I share your sentiment," Optimus said in return, then he peered at him with his bright blue optics. "I must say that your energy levels seem depleted."

"I've been awake for the past twenty hours, and I've only managed to get an hour's rest here and there; I need to recharge… well, not literally."

"Lennox, allow me to oversee progress on this phase of the operation for a time. You can sleep for a little while. We will inform you the moment things change."

"Thanks, Optimus. I'll see you in a bit."

He strolled back to the room that he had crashed in earlier. The door was locked, but he quickly found someone with a key to open it. The room was completely dark inside and he didn't bother to turn on the light. Will went over to the cot with his hands outstretched so as not to trip onto it. He touched a blanket on the edge and knew he was close. Still feeling around, he felt something that he couldn't account for – firm yet curved.

Before he knew what was happening, there was a scream and he was falling backwards. His face stung and he was suddenly winded. An assailant continued hitting him, and kicked him in the side. Lennox scrambled on hands and knees back to the door, where there was a crack of light beaming underneath. Fumbling at the handle, he finally got it open and basically fell out into the hallway. Will jumped to his feet and spun around to face his attacker.

"Lennox?!"

"Mikaela?!"

The young woman glared at him. "What was that all about?" she demanded.

"I was just looking to catch some shut-eye," he replied, stumbling over his words.

"So you thought you'd climb in with me?!" she shouted and gave him a hard push.

Will held up his palms towards her, expressing innocence. "I swear I had no idea that you were already in there!"

"So why were you feeling me up, then?" staring up at him with furious eyes.

"I-I wasn't!" Will stammered and glanced around nervously. Someone was bound to show up any moment to see what the commotion was about. "I mean, I wasn't intentionally trying to touch you! Like I said, I didn't know you were sleeping there – I was just looking for the bed."

"In the dark?"

"Yes, in the dark. I'm sorry. I guess I scared you pretty bad."

Mikaela let out a breath she wasn't even aware that she was holding in. "Yeah, you did. I thought you were some creep."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. Will looked at the ground, feeling mortified.

"Did I hurt you much?" she asked, suddenly realizing that she hadn't held back in defending herself.

Will rubbed his side. "I'll live." He looked up to give her a sheepish smile, and she gave him an awkward one in return. "Well, I guess I'll go find somewhere unoccupied to crash."

After they both reiterated their apologies he sauntered down the hallway, and Mikaela returned to the room, making sure to once more lock the door behind her. She flopped onto the cot and gazed at the light illuminating the bottom of the door until she fell asleep again.

* * *

"Are you sure of the trajectories?"

"Unless something causes a change in course, these are the approximate coordinates of the crash zones."

Optimus put a giant hand to his chin. "I think the time has come to rouse Colonel Lennox. We need to move."

Seven minutes later Lennox walked into the hangar still looking half-asleep. "So the mid-flight dismantling went well?"

"Yes, it appears to have," the Prime concurred. "We now have the locations of where each piece could come down."

"The parts of the ship won't be close together?"

"Each unit has thrusters that can help guide it to the surface, but since we couldn't completely change the default settings, the thrusters on all three units will propel them far away from each other. According to our calculations, a main section will come down in the Midwestern area of the United States, and the two other large sections will land in northern Africa and western China."

"Those are all sparsely populated areas – good job!" Lennox commended the Autobots' efforts.

Conley walked over. "It's going to be a diplomatic issue to get into western China."

"Isn't that what you're here for?" Lennox retorted.

He scowled but didn't respond.

Optimus' optics shifted back and forth between the two men. "Any other small pieces that break off will probably land in the oceans; however, it won't be long until the Decepticons figure out where the main sections will drop. We need to strategize and move out right away."

"I agree. If we scramble teams from the N.E.S.T. bases nearest to the landing sites, then we'll have some defense in place for when the Decepticons show up."

"In the meantime, if we can split into two or three teams then we can begin heading to the sites immediately."

"If you all split up, how am I supposed to keep track of all the aspects of this operation?" Conley asked.

"Don't you worry, Councilor; you're staying with me," Lennox said. Next he waved over a soldier standing nearby. "I need you to wake up the civilian, the young woman, and arrange a transport home for her."

The moment the man left, Conley turned and glared at him. "You're going to try and send her back again? Is that the best use of your resources, Colonel?"

Lennox looked at him with a confused expression. "Everyone's leaving – do you expect me to leave her here in the empty N.E.S.T. facilities?"

"She was exposed to classified information, don't you remember?"

"Ms. Banes doesn't know where we're deploying the teams."

"But she does know enough about the alien spacecraft that those Decepticons might believe that she has more information. If we release her now, it will endanger the mission."

"A few hours ago you were all for sending her home. Just what _do_ you think should be done?" Lennox asked, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"It would be best if I take her into protective custody."

"What? Can you even do that?"

"Well, if I deem her a threat to the mission, yes. Besides, it's for her own good. If she's under my watch, she'll be safe from the Decepticons. So, unless you want to waste time by arguing over the legality of this and getting proper authorization, I suggest that you do your job and let me do mine."

Will got right in his face and stared him down. "If she's your responsibility then you better take good care of her."

"Of course," he replied.

Lennox turned and marched off. He was fuming, but he couldn't allow his emotions to get the better of him at such a crucial time. This turn of events made him even more determined than ever to protect Mikaela; yet he was also more fearful than ever that he could fail.

* * *

_**A.N.: ** _What do you think of Darin Conley? In my mind he looks like actor Peter Sarsgaard because I find him a little creepy.


	4. Hot Under the Collar

_**Author's Note: **_Sorry that it's been a long time since the last post :( This chapter finally features some of the tense relationship that Mikaela and Lennox have at present. I've hinted a bit at this, but I hope it's a little clearer after reading it. I love reading your questions and comments, so don't hesitate to ask if you'd like to have something explained :)

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Hot Under the Collar**

The N.E.S.T. team arrived in Alliance, Nebraska a little over two hours later. They had flown straight to Alliance Municipal Airport, but still had to drive to the crash site. The first part of the Cybertronian spaceship had come down while they were still in flight, so Lennox and Optimus felt confident that they would be the first ones to reach it. Nevertheless, Optimus had decided that Ironhide, Knock Out, and Dune Runner should come for back-up; no one wanted to see Decepticons at six in the morning.

Mikaela woke up yet again – she had been trying to catch some sleep on and off for the past several hours – and followed the soldiers as they exited the plane onto the tarmac. The frigid air hit her all at once and her entire body shuddered at the sensation. Her skinny jeans and loose sweater were no match for the subzero temperatures.

"Ms. Banes, over here," a voice called to her.

She glanced in the direction it came from and saw Darin Conley motioning her over. Whatever possessed that man into believing that she was a security threat? Mikaela rolled her eyes and slowly walked over. "Did you think I was going to make a break for it?" she asked him sarcastically.

"I've done some research on you, Ms. Banes; turns out that this isn't your first brush with the Cybertronians. Those battles that you were involved in are classified and you know things the general public isn't aware of – that's alright since you've signed a confidentiality document. However, the fact remains that you seem to be a magnet for trouble."

"If you really did check your facts, you'd see that my boyfriend at the time was the 'magnet for trouble', as you put it. I was just involved because of association," Mikaela retorted.

A sly look crossed the face of the government councilor. "All the more reason for me to keep an eye on you. We don't need any more civilian deaths now, do we?"

Conley strode off to go pester someone else, leaving Mikaela struggling with her emotions. She crossed her arms tightly, trying to keep warm, while discreetly wiping a stray tear from her cheeks. It wasn't just anger she was feeling, but also grief. What he said was true – the last time she had been caught up in the ongoing Autobot-Decepticon war it cost Sam his life. And now she was once again stuck in the middle of it all.

Across the tarmac, Lennox had gotten everyone organized and on task; they would be rolling out in a matter of minutes. His eyes caught sight of Mikaela standing alone. She looked like she was freezing. After giving one more order to his next in command, he quickly went over to her.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" he asked.

"Oh, hi, I'm alright. Just cold," she replied, faking a better mood.

Lennox noticed that she looked upset, but didn't say anything as she seemed to be trying to hide it. "I wanted to give you this…" He took off his military-issued winter coat and held it out. "I've got so much gear on that I don't really need it."

"That's really nice, Will. Thanks."

He helped her slip it on; the coat looked huge on her, covering even her hands.

Will passed a hand through his hair. "I guess it's a little big for you."

Mikaela snuggled inside; it smelled like him and was still warm from his body heat. "It's exactly what I needed."

He grinned, then his face changed to a serious expression. "Hey, I feel like I owe you an apology. When you showed up at the base, I should've at least asked you for your opinion instead of just ordering you around."

"It's okay. I understand that you've got protocol to follow."

"I do, but that doesn't excuse ignoring how you feel about things. I'm so used to commanding a team that I forget how to deal with civilians sometimes."

"I appreciate your saying that. To be honest, I'm not sure where I should be. My only thought was that I should stay with Bumblebee. As my guardian he's almost over-protective of me, but I guess that's not too surprising given what happened. Bee really beats himself up about it. But we've also gotten really close – I feel safe when I'm with Bee, I trust him."

Her eyes suddenly locked with Will's when she said that. She realized too late that her words might convey a double meaning – that she lacked trust in Will. He looked slightly pained, and his voice conveyed the hurt he felt.

"Well, since Conley's put you into some sort of protective custody, you'll be near Bumblebee as long as we're on this mission."

Will's body language indicated that he was about to walk away, and she motioned for him to wait. "I don't have to stay here. If I could have another Autobot watch me until Bee is finished, then I'm sure I'll be fine. The Decepticons are probably more concerned about this spaceship now anyways."

"Conley would have to agree to letting you return home, and he doesn't seem to be thinking logically about that."

"Why should it be up to some government aide? Does he even have the right to order that I stay here? Isn't having me here more dangerous? I didn't ask to come along on this mission."

"I know – I was trying to send you home!"

"Why did you let him bring me, then?"

Will sighed. "Because it's out of my jurisdiction."

"Since when do rules and regulations mean so much to you? I always believed that you would do whatever was necessary to make things right, not let anything stand in your way."

"And the last time I did that, look what happened!" he shouted.

At this point their heated conversation drew several curious stares. Will and Mikaela glanced around, both feeling self-conscious.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

A couple tears slipped from her eyes. "Just forget about it. Your team is waiting for you."

He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he returned to his men. "Let's roll out, guys."

From the other side of the tarmac where the Autobots had been preparing, Bumblebee's audio sensors had picked up the raised voices of Colonel Lennox and Mikaela. A quick examination of her body language indicated that she was distressed. He shifted into his Camaro alt-mode and drove over, popping a door open for her.

"Hey hot stuff, want to ride with me?" Bee joked.

Mikaela had to chuckle; her Autobot companion always found a way to lighten the mood. "I would love to, big Bee."

* * *

Dawn was breaking over the flat, snow-covered landscape, and it was a beautiful sight. After driving for a while, the team turned down a side road that eventually led to a farm; from there the landowner led everyone down a secondary trail through his fields. Already they could see a large, smoking, metal object sitting out there. A big SUV was already on the scene, parked quietly off to the side.

Lennox jumped out of the vehicle he was traveling in and approached the farmer. "This shouldn't take too long, sir. Basically we're just here to get this thing off your land."

The man nodded in understanding. "Y'know, I always had a funny feeling that this might happen someday. You always here of space junk landing in the middle of nowhere, and this is right next to nowhere as far as the U. S. of A. is concerned."

"I'm relieved that it didn't land on any buildings of yours."

"Yeah. Wait, this thing isn't toxic, is it?"

"Uh…" Lennox quickly glanced over at the Prime's alt-mode truck, which made a kind of shuddering sound. "I don't believe it is. I will have to ask you to sign a confidentiality form."

"What for?"

Behind Colonel Lennox several of the vehicles began transforming into their bi-pedal forms, much to the astonishment of the man.

"I might have guessed!" he exclaimed. "I thought that you had some unusually fancy vehicles here! Aliens… wow-ee!"

"Well, there's your answer," Lennox responded. "Also, you're entitled to some compensation for the trouble and damages to your field. Mr. Conley here will go over all of that with you."

Lennox left to go direct his team, glad that Conley would actually have something to do that would keep him occupied.

The blue SUV waiting for the team was actually an Autobot as well – Gears. He was in the vicinity and had been able to get to the crash site before anyone else. As Optimus Prime approached he stood straighter and saluted.

"The area is completely secure and I've detected no Decepticon presence at all," Gears reported.

"That's good to hear," the Prime responded. "I doubt that any Decepticons were able to mobilize fast enough to get out here. Gears, I need you to remain in this region for a couple of cycles to make sure the humans are safe; we can't be sure that the Decepticons won't send a scout."

"Understood, Optimus."

The Autobot leader turned and faced his team. "All of you, please work quickly to dismantle as much of this spacecraft as possible. The faster we can get all of the pieces loaded onto the N.E.S.T. planes, the faster we can move on to the next crash site."

Immediately all of the Autobots moved into action, working carefully with their human counterparts. Bumblebee, who had already let Mikaela out of the car and transformed, waved at her. She waved back and went to stand out of the way. It was kind of surreal watching these aliens and humans interacting and cooperating; it had been a while since she had seen that. Mikaela chuckled at how the Autobots would kick snow at each other when Optimus wasn't looking – they loved to have fun.

Within forty-five minutes all the wreckage of the spaceship had been loaded onto flatbed trucks and covered with large tarps. The nearby town of Alliance would receive the official story that a satellite had crashed in their backyard. The N.E.S.T. team congratulated itself on a successful phase one of the mission and got ready to depart.

Conley, who had spent the majority of the time sitting around in a Humvee, now approached Mikaela as she walked by the parked vehicles. "Ms. Banes, I think you should be riding with me."

"You can think what you like," she retorted started walking away, but he stepped directly in front of her.

"You're a bit impertinent, aren't you?"

She ignored him and again tried to step away but he got even closer.

"Oh I see," he mused aloud, "you're angry at what I said earlier."

Mikaela looked up his tall frame and glared at him. "I lost a friend that day – have you no sympathy?"

Darin's face took on an insincere expression of concern and he put a hand to her shoulder. "I feel your pain."

Behind him an engine revved and they both looked to see the yellow Camaro waiting with an impatient air. Mikaela brushed his hand off and marched towards the car, quickly getting inside before Conley could say anything. Only when Bee accelerated did she exhale deeply. At least she was wearing Will's winter coat and hadn't felt the contact of his hand like last time.

"That guy getting on your nerves?" Bee asked.

"Yeah…" she said with a sigh. "I don't know what his game is, but I'm not playing."

A short distance away Lennox had noticed the exchange between Darin Conley and Mikaela. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he definitely didn't like what he saw.

* * *

With the second part of the Cybertronian spaceship already making its last orbits around Earth, the N.E.S.T. team had to make tracks. They re-boarded the massive C-17s; one of the planes heading back to California with the spaceship pieces. Only Optimus, Ratchet and Bumblebee would continue on to the New Jersey base, where they would pick up others to take overseas. Since they did not want to deprive any region of sufficient Autobot protection, they would join up with local Autobots stationed near the next two crash sites.

When the planes landed at the N.E.S.T. base in New Jersey it was already twelve-thirty in the afternoon – lunchtime. Everyone was completely off their internal clocks anyways, so Lennox requested that his team be fed immediately before they reorganized. In the meantime, Conley had gone off to check on some details for the next phase of the mission. Now seemed to be like a good time to talk with Mikaela and see if there was some way that she could return home. She was sitting away from everyone else, eating and browsing a technical manual.

"You didn't have to come over," she stated without looking up at him.

"I know. I wanted to see what you thought of taking a flight back to California."

Her blue eyes met his. "I can go home?"

"If we discuss things with Conley, he might agree to letting you return."

She looked away again. "I doubt it; there's just no reasoning with him. He seems to love being able to use and abuse his power and position."

"Well, it's still worth a shot." Movement caught his eye and he glanced over to see Conley enter the room. "I'll go speak with him now."

As Lennox approached him, he noticed the usually subdued man looking slightly frantic. "Conley, I'd like to talk about…"

The councilor interrupted him. "If it's not about the mission it will have to wait. I've just been on the phone with Washington, and they've informed me that we have an issue with Morocco."

"That being?"

"Morocco isn't going to let us in."

"What? Why?"

"The government there knows all about what happened in Egypt last year, with the alien battle and all, and they don't want another botched operation happening in their country."

"Whoa, 'botched operation'?" Will's anger flared. "If my team hadn't been there, the Decepticons would have… never mind, I'm not even going to bother debating that with you. The real question is: why didn't you deal with this diplomatic stuff earlier? Like when we calculated that a giant chunk of alien space tech would be landing on north African soil?"

"I've been focusing my efforts on getting into China, because I knew that we might have trouble getting clearance to enter their borders."

"So, you completely neglected looking into northern Africa."

Conley stared back at him in silence.

Lennox heaved a sigh and passed a hand through his hair as he took a few steps aside to clear his head. A couple seconds later he returned to where he was standing and looked at Conley with fierce intensity. "One way or another you _will_ get my team into Morocco. Every minute we delay is putting us at greater risk to encounter Decepticons, and I will not put my men in any greater risk than is necessary. So you better call in any and all favours right now and have us flying there within the hour, or I will go over your head."

The other man knew he was in the wrong and could do nothing but comply. "Yes, Colonel," he muttered, and quickly marched back out of the room.

Will heaved another sigh and went back over to Mikaela, sitting down beside her. "Hey, it looks like you'll have to stay on this ride until it stops."

"Is everything alright? Things looked a little tense just then."

"We've hit a bit of a diplomatic snag and it's going to delay our departure for Morocco."

"But won't that give the Decepticons time to get there?" Mikaela asked.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." He saw the concern in her eyes and felt a little better – at least she wasn't as upset with him as she was earlier. "It's going to be okay, though."

She nodded, but inside she felt terrified. By the time they finally got there, the 'Cons would be waiting for them, just like in Egypt.

* * *

After a half hour of waiting around, Conley had finally put a plan together. Lennox was feeling a little desperate by this point, ready to agree to anything that would allow the N.E.S.T. team to gain access to the country, but he wasn't ready for the plan that Conley had devised.

"You want us to what?!"

"I'm telling you, it's the only way we'll be able to get in. I've gone through all of this with the embassy."

"But all of the gear?"

"We can bring it in but we'll have to do it discreetly."

"A military team, discreet, right…"

"You said you wanted a way into Morocco, Colonel. Well, this is it."

Muttering, he left to address his team; "The guys are going to love this…"

"As soon as I'm done talking we're going to load up and go," Lennox started, "but if you have any questions, ask them now. Because Morocco has denied N.E.S.T. access across its borders, our team will be going in as a tourist group." He paused a moment as a ripple of murmuring and quiet exclamations went through the group. "We're still taking in all of our gear and the Autobots are coming with us, but we'll have to keep a low profile."

Mikaela was listening attentively to Lennox's briefing as Conley came and stood next to her.

"Aren't you starting to feel a little glad about coming?" he whispered to her. "It's not everyday you get to be a tourist in such a beautiful place."

"I don't care about sightseeing. What matters is that it will be more dangerous for Lennox's team," she responded.

"You think a lot of him, don't you?"

Mikaela glared at Conley. "Is that your envy talking?"

"He was going to ask me to let you go home, am I right? I saw you two sitting together earlier."

"You're putting me in danger too, taking me along like this."

"Admit it – you'd rather be near Lennox than at home." She remained silent and he continued talking. "Maybe that's the reason you showed up at Edwards Air Force Base."

"It is not and you know it! Stop trying to twist facts, Conley. If you're embarrassed that Lennox got mad at you, go write it in your report and quit taking it out on me," Mikaela whispered furiously.

Conley's eyebrows went up in amusement at the strong reaction he'd been able to get from her. He gave her a sly smile. "Your face flushes so delicately when you're angry."

Mikaela instantly felt her cheeks grow hot in self-consciousness, and Conley stepped away. She was annoyed at herself for allowing him to provoke her. Hopefully she would be able to get some distance from Darin Conley once they reached Morocco.


End file.
